BP shouldnt shoulder all of the blame. Link.
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BP shouldnt shoulder all of the blame. Link.
Of course they lie. "Doo doo happens." Especially when profits are involved.Quote:
Originally Posted by lizbud
THAT SOB GWB is to blame.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue
Look what he did to the gulf before?
THe SOBs GWB, WJC, GHWB, and BHO.Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
What did GWB do to the Gulf?Quote:
Look what he did to the gulf before?
What about those people whose living is/was made from the Gulf - what is going to happen to them?
More Than Just an Oil Spill
I can only hope BP isnt as big an AH company as Exxon. But hey this is the Hope and Change era.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace
And R, BLUE, WOM :pQuote:
Originally Posted by blue
Leave my dog out of this!Quote:
Originally Posted by wombat2u2004
Only if i can leave my pet Wombat out of it :pQuote:
Originally Posted by blue
Seriously, my dog may be a dang left leaning hippy but there is no need to drag him into this.Quote:
Originally Posted by wombat2u2004
Don't worry Blue....I wouldn't even think about it.
I saw a report on the late news last night (Chris Sowers on Fox Chicago) of what might happen with storm season approaching and the mass of oil floating in the Gulf. The bad scenario is that it could be picked up and carried into the water supplies of nearby states, affecting even more water, wildlife, fish, plants, etc. The very bad scenario is that it could be scooped up in micro-droplets, carried along by a strong storm (like a tornado) and be rained back to earth. Yuck and double yuck. But the government is trying to figure out why this happened instead of trying to get it cleaned up.
Another piece by Bob Herbert.
Just saw a report on the news.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is doing a study on the EFFECT OF PLACING A BOOM IN THE WATER TO CATCH THE OIL.
They are trying to figure out the enviromental impact of it, the boom, not the oil.
Well, I think that the individual Army Engineers involved in that should first have their credentials checked. In light of the situation, I think we owe it to the marine life to ensure that at least these personel are qualified to carry out such a study. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace
Thanks Grace, good article.:) You know, sometimes you just have to
laugh, or go crazy. :( I think I'll go with the laugh for now.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/video/i...ing-judge-judy
Editorial from today's Chicago Tribune entitled "In Too Deep"
It has been more than a month since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, uncapping a geyser of trouble. Anger and frustration over BP's futile efforts to stop this mushrooming spill is growing almost as fast as the slick itself. Thick reefs of oil are washing up on the coast of Louisiana.
Every day brings new and disturbing revelations about how BP, its partners, the U.S. government — everyone who had a role in preventing or stopping such an accident — failed.
BP is trying to shift blame for the explosion onto rig owner Transocean Ltd. And the White House is trying to duck charges that it was slow to respond.
Over the weekend, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar scrambled to the region and said there was "no question that BP is throwing everything at the problem to try to resolve it because this is an existential crisis for one of the world's largest companies." But then he added: "Do I have confidence that they know exactly what they are doing? No, not completely."
Who could?
Ten days ago, BP chief executive Tony Hayward admitted that the company could have done more to prepare for such an accident.
The company is scrambling for solutions that no one had even thought to devise before this disaster. BP is expected to try on Wednesday to stop the gusher with a "top kill" — pushing heavy drilling fluids into the wellhead as a seal. That would be "another first for this technology at these water depths and so, we cannot take its success for granted," Hayward said. No kidding.
Salazar said the federal government would "push BP out of the way" if the company isn't up to the job. But that sounds like empty bravado. A top Coast Guard official shrugged when asked Monday about Salazar's threat. He said the government doesn't have the expertise to do a better job.
So we're stuck with BP.
What the government can do is demand that BP give completely transparent answers to some questions. For instance: BP hasn't come clean on how much oil is gushing from that well. Its earlier estimates of 5,000 barrels a day are laughably low.
The company has sprayed 600,000 gallons of chemicals to disperse the oil so far. But it is resisting a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency demand to start spraying a less toxic chemical. That won't wash.
This much is clear: BP wasn't prepared. The government didn't make sure BP was prepared. And the government created a disincentive to operating safely. By law, BP's liability to fishermen, property owners and others hurt by the spill is capped at $75 million for all claims. BP has said it will ignore the cap and pay all appropriate claims. Congress is haggling over changing those limits.
Low liability caps encourage riskier drilling practices. They reduce the incentives for companies to spend more upfront to avoid accidents or make sure they have equipment on site to deal with them effectively.
After this, you can be sure that every company that drills in the gulf will look harder at the risks and rewards of deepwater drilling. They'll invest in better safety equipment to avoid spills, better methods to cap blowouts. They'll expect more effective government scrutiny. They'll be better prepared.
But they will drill for oil. You don't hear many people in the gulf — even those most affected by this disaster — say otherwise. Oil from offshore rigs accounts for about 30 percent of the nation's domestic oil production and is critical to the economy of gulf states. Every barrel produced here is a barrel that we don't have to import. The Obama administration recognized all that when it announced an expansion of offshore oil and gas development … three weeks before the explosion at Deepwater Horizon.
So keep the pressure on BP to seal the disastrous leak, of course. And let this lead to safer oil exploration, where companies know the cost of failure will fall squarely on them.
And in a moment of levity:
http://neworleans.craigslist.org/mat/1758839193.html
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2 million barrels of crude oil. Mixed with seawater. You'll need to separate the seawater yourself.
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I totally do not know quite what that pic is...but it must be related...
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6430AR20100527
BP says 24 hours will tell if oil leak plug works
http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?...0_OIL-RIG-LEAK
(Reuters) - BP Plc's chief executive said a difficult deep-sea operation to plug a gushing oil well was proceeding as planned on Wednesday and the next 24 hours will determine the energy giant's success in stanching the leak deep on the Gulf of Mexico floor.
U.S. | Green Business | Gulf Oil Spill
BP remained cautious about the outcome of the much anticipated "top kill" procedure, as did President Barack Obama, whose credibility stands to suffer if one of the country's worst environmental catastrophes does not end soon.
But the fact that the London-based energy giant was able to launch the complex maneuver around midday and keep it on track in the first hours was a welcome respite from a string of failures and setbacks in the 37 days since a rig blast triggered the disaster.
Undersea robots were helping to inject heavy fluids and ultimately cement pumped down about a mile to the sea-bed well, while BP chief executive Tony Hayward and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu monitored operations together in Houston.
"The operation is proceeding as we planned it," Hayward said in a media briefing four hours after launching the top kill strategy.
"It will be another 24 hours before we know whether or not this has been successful," he added.
The embattled CEO stood by BP's 60-70 percent odds of success. But top kill, a routine procedure on the surface, has never been attempted at such depths, prompting one industry expert to predict less favorable odds.
"You have got some of the smartest guys in the business trying to figure this out, but it has never been done before," David Pursell, partner at Houston investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co, told Reuters Insider.
"I think the odds have to be 50 percent or less," he added.
Obama said that if successful, BP's plan to cap the well should greatly reduce or eliminate the flow of hundreds of thousands of gallons (liters) of crude billowing into the Gulf.
If it fails, "there are other approaches that may be viable," he said on a trip to California.
Obama, who has told aides to "plug the damn hole," will head to Louisiana on Friday for the second time since the April 20 rig blast that killed 11 and unleashed the oil.
If the top kill fails, the next approach would be to install a containment device over the broken blowout preventer, a structure at the top of the well on the ocean floor, said BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said at a briefing with the Coast Guard Wednesday.
It is still unclear how much oil is flowing from the well, but it is already shaping up to be the worst oil spill in U.S. history and a long-term threat to a rich ecosystem.
The disaster is also reshaping the U.S. oil industry. Obama is expected to announce on Thursday that he will continue to hold off issuing deep water drilling permits off the Gulf of Mexico, but allow permits to be issued for shallow water drilling, a government source told Reuters.
The oil's destruction of critical habitats continued to spread, with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal saying that more than 100 miles of the state's 400-mile coastline were now affected.
PIVOTAL DAYS FOR OBAMA, BP
These days may be critical for BP and Obama.
BP's reputation and its big presence in the United States is at stake and investors, who have wiped $50 billion off BP's market value since the start of the spill, will watch closely to see whether the latest attempt to seal the well works.
BP shares seesawed in London trading on Wednesday, with investors boosting the share price about 2.6 percent at one point before it closed up 1.4 percent. BP's announcement that it had launched top kill came after London markets had closed.
If the effort fails, Obama may have no choice but to take charge of the response. He has so far deflected calls for the government to take a more direct role and said BP has legal responsibility for fixing the mess.
What he can do is unclear because the government does not have its own deepwater tools and technology and will have to rely on BP.
But even with Obama applying constant pressure on the company, polls show that nearly half of Americans are unhappy with how he has handled it. That sentiment could play into the November elections that are widely expected to erode his Democratic Party's control of the U.S. Congress.
Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson said if BP failed to plug the leak this week, Obama must seize personal control of the effort immediately.
"If this thing doesn't work then the president ought to turn this over to the military. It has the command structure to bring in all the civilian agencies," said Nelson.
LOST COASTLINE EXASPERATES LOCALS
BP has estimated that about 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons/795,000 liters) have been leaking every day, although some scientists have given much higher numbers for the size of the leak -- up to 20 times more.
Residents of the Gulf region are particularly concerned about the impact of spreading oil on wildlife and area shorelines, home to a $6.5 billion seafood industry and lucrative fishing tourism.
Operation "top kill" was not putting them at ease.
"If I was a betting man I'd say the odds are better than last time, but I still don't think it is going to happen," a fishing guide who goes by the name of Captain Boola said at a marina at Venice, Louisiana.
He said he only fished with clients three days this month and had cancellations through to November.
Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish, one of the worst affected Louisiana coastal districts so far, sharply criticized BP and the Coast Guard, saying they had no comprehensive plan to defend the coast from the oil.
"We will lose more coastline from this catastrophe than from all four hurricanes -- Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike," said Nungesser.
(Additional reporting by Kristin Hays in Houston, Ed Stoddard in Venice, Louisiana, Pascal Fletcher in Miami, Susan Heavey and Tom Doggett in Washington, Jeff Mason in Fremont, California; writing by Mary Milliken; editing by Philip Barbara)
BO and his advisers are mulling over a plan to let the oil leak go on until a suitable plan to stop it completely, is drawn up.
Until then, he has ordered tankers of vinegar and herbs to be dumped into the GoM.
Plans are to turn the Gulf into a giant bowl of salad dressing for the upcoming summer months....:rolleyes::mad::eek:.
----------
Catty,
Wasn't Captain Boola a Klingon in the Star Trek series?:eek:
Oil stops gushing from Gulf of Mexico well
1 hour, 33 minutes ago
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) - BP has stopped the oil gushing out of a ruptured Gulf of Mexico well, US officials said Thursday, but cautioned it was still too early to declare victory in the five-week disaster.
"They've been able to stabilize the wellhead, they're pumping mud down it. They've stopped the hydrocarbons from coming up," said Coast Guard chief Thad Allen, who is coordinating the US government's battle against the oil spill.
He told local radio WWL First News that BP "had some success overnight" but cautioned the British energy giant was "in a period of kind of wait and see right now where they see how the well stabilizes."
"So everybody is cautiously optimistic, but there is no reason to declare victory yet. We need to watch it very, very carefully."
The news came after BP yesterday launched a maneuver dubbed a "top kill" in a bid to plug the leak which has been gushing oil into the Gulf since a April 20 explosion ripped through the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform.
After at least two failed attempts to cap the spill, BP has come under increasing pressure from the US administration and furious residents helplessly watching oil wash ashore, with 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Louisiana coastline now contaminated.
Full article here: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/10052...on_environment
Let's hope that "cautious optimism" turns into a success story.
I heard on the news yesterday, that they are estimating 200 million gallons have have already spewed into the ocean. :(
As I thought from the beginning, there was no plan B. Only a few wild
suggestions on how the company could ever regain control of the well
should there be an accident.
Article from Newsweek........
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/28/w...tter-plan.html
The Pres is there looking the situation over now. I can't help wondering if they will offer him a seafood lunch? :love:
They stopped the leak so he could visit, They will start it again as soon as Air Force One leaves to take him home.:confused::eek::(Quote:
Originally Posted by momoffuzzyfaces
Every day I think this couldn't get much worse, then it does.:(:(
It is impossible to believe any thing BP says again. There is no possible
way to stop the oil before August when they finish drilling the second well
which they say is needed to really seal the first well. I'll believe it when I
see it.:rolleyes:
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12565028
Didnt Obama take full responsibility for this disaster a few days ago?
Unlike George Bush who never took responsibility for anything.
So this is ShrubCo's fault? Isnt that getting a bit tired about now?Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace
At least Shrub didnt shirk his job to go play golf, basketball, or go on a date night in NY. He sure didnt go on vacation and leave it to the VP to handle things at Arlington during the Memorial Day ceremonies.
I dont blame you for your blind hatred of Bush, but get over it. At least Bush could take criticism without looking like a punk.
Focusing on who's fault it is isn't going to fix the problem, just saying. ;)
Where did I say this problem was the fault of George Bush? Show me an exact example - please.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue
Blind hatred - you're way off base.
I do agree with you however, just dont tell that to the media or the "Obama can do no wrong" public like the next quote.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alysser
Blah blah blah. Off base? I dont think so, you brought up Bush not me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace
My question still stands - Where did I say this problem was the fault of George Bush? Show me an exact example - please.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue
Yes, I brought up Bush. So what? You can't answer my question, because you're ascribing things about me that are a lie.
A bit defensive arent you? Get over it. Shrub is back home in Crawford and Obama is dropping the ball not just in DC, and the border, but all over the Gulf as well.
At least Shrub took the blame when he knew it was his to own, unlike your man Barry.
No, you are. You accuse me of something I did not say. I'm just setting the record straight. You're the one calling the former President of the United States Shrub. A bit disrespectful, don't you think? And, to set your mind at rest, I have never called Bush by that nickname. And that is not defensive - that is the truth.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue
Nice misdirection. At least Im consistent when I disrespect the president, I dont care what party they are from or even if I agree with the job they are doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace
Im not in the least defensive about Obongo dropping the ball in the Gulf, on the Border or going on vacation in Chicago when he should be at Arlington. In fact I think Obama AKA Barry should be in DC this weekend and not in Chicago with his buddies.
On the topic of this thread Obama AKA Barry should be bending over backwards to give BP every helping hand and advantage to plug this leak in the ocean rather then letting his lapdogs posture about pushing the people who know what they are doing and what is at stake out of the way.
I have to give credit to my hard left leaning brother for this, Shrub would have nuked this leak the day after the blowout, he wouldnt have pussyfooted around going to fundraisers.
SHRUBBERY !!!! I say. :D
Well whoever did what - or didn't do what - isn't the issue now. The fact remains, that the oil is still gushing, and the top fill idea is just another act of grasping at straws that didn't work. Back to the drawing board, guys! :mad:
This truly is a big time disaster. Who is to 'blame'?
Ask this question.... Why are they drilling that far offshore and that deep when there are sources closer and more shallow? Or oil shale, or on land resources? Hmmmmm?
Or is it just BP being greedy? Because 'doo doo' occurs, ESPECIALLY when greed is involved. Because I know I would cut corners and be lax about the return I get on a multi-billion dollar investment.
And the best part... The fix is to just stop drilling. Glad this guy was not President during the Moon race.
I know... Being angry and pointing fingers is fun... And the easy way out. Eh?
-----------
We all want 'green' energy. It will take time. 'Doo doo' will occur during the R&D of those sources. Will movement forward on it stop? Will we even know?
Our way of life is utterly dependant on petroleum products. Why not get the EASY and domestic sources while we bring better sources online? Bashing BP does not help.
I mean, I can survive living in the 18th century, but I don't want to. How about you?
Stop and think about it.
If those stupid dinosaurs hadn't died in a group?
No oil and no drilling.